Editorial: "Beware the False Prophets!"
Feature Article: "Finding God's Forgiveness!"
A Matter of Faith is published once Monthly, and is distributed only to those
who have asked to receive it. If you ever need to
unsubscribe, simply send a blank email from the address where you received this
ezine to: Unsubscribe.
This is an opt-in emailing list and we have a copy of every subscription request
on file. If you did not ask for it, and do not want
to receive this newsletter, please simply unsubscribe.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. EDITORIAL: Beware the False Prophets!
2. SITE OF THE MONTH: Soldier of the Cross Evangelistic Ministry.
3. FEATURE ARTICLE: Finding God's Forgiveness!
4. PRAYER REQUESTS: Submitted by our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
5. FEEDBACK: The Subscriber's Section - Your Input Matters.
6. CONTACT US... We are here for You!
1. EDITORIAL: Beware the False Prophets!
(See Letters #1 & #20 for additional information).
Throughout the past months, I have been deluged with email from self
proclaiming "Prophets", "Apostles" and "Messengers
of God", who are either teaching "Another Gospel", or
proclaiming a message from God, when God is not speaking (to them) at
all!!!
Beloved, I cannot stress enough the importance of testing the spirits whenever
you see, read or hear from anyone proclaiming "revelation" from
God... The Internet is a wonderful tool - when used properly. It is also
an evil tool of tremendous force when used incorrectly; when used by those
who wish to deceive, distort or destroy the very faith that we know through
Jesus Christ.
All too often, I am presented with letters from those who are new or weak in
their faith, or whose concept of Christianity has been distorted by some
teaching or other that they have discovered on the Internet. It is presumed that
just because something is "published", that it must have
credence and credibility. This is a lie! Anybody with a computer and a
phone line can receive free access to the Internet, and once online, they
are free to publish and promote their rubbish to a world anxious to receive
news from "GOD"!
For the past six months I have been witnessing to a sister whose faith is
troubled by doubt and insecurity over the matter of her salvation through Jesus
Christ. Recently, I discovered the source of her grief: An Internet Web Site
that she found, told her that salvation through Jesus Christ comes only AFTER
she begins walking on the narrow path of obedience and discipleship. She, and
unknown others, have been told that until she/they can shed every sin from her
life, she/they remain (s) lost!
I strenuously pointed to the Book of Galatians, and cited the reality of
"Another Gospel" being presented to her. I forcefully reminded her
that she was saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that the Holy
Spirit comes once a proclamation of that faith in Jesus is made... And, I
reminded her that only in the Spirit of God is the faith walk possible at all!
Faith comes first, obedience and discipleship follow closely. Sadly, she has not
written back!
Elsewhere, I am receiving letters from the "Apostle of North America"
and his minions, who are telling me that I must "report" to this
"Apostle" in order to, "Receive your final cleansing, instruction
and salvation." Can you imagine the gall? I am supposed to check-in with
this guy to receive my "salvation"???
On a similar front, I recently received another "prophetic message"
from a group of "Apostles" who want me to send proof of my conversion
- and visitation from God - so that I can be accepted (by them) into the
"official ranks" of the end time Apostles of Jesus Christ............
May God have mercy!
And finally, there are the false prophets who are proclaiming their messages!
What truly is amazing about these later day prophets though, is that their
messages are frequently accompanied by a disclaimer. For instance, and in case
you didn't know, the rapture was supposed to occur on June 10th., 2000. (Oh,
were you out of that loop?) Anyway, this "prophetic word" spread
like wildfire over the Internet - but a disclaimer accompanied the message
(which I can only imagine was supposed to "save the prophet" from
ridicule when the event did not take place). The disclaimer?
"If the event does not take place, it is because God changed His
mind".... Do I hear a collective, DUH???
While many in Christ are mature enough to see through these deceptions,
brethren, we must stand firm in our faith against these false practitioners.
And, we must rebuke them in the loving humility of Jesus Christ, whenever we
can. But, we must not associate with them - or read their publications - or
support them in any manner. Bad company corrupts good morals! As the world
races toward the end of this age, and as we near the return of our Lord and
Savior, prepare your hearts for an intense spiritual battle. Prepare your
hearts and minds with the fullness of God's Word, and do not become distracted
by that which is false.
When Jesus appoints His "Apostles", no man will intervene! When Jesus
appoints His "Prophets", no error will be found! When Jesus appoints
His "Laborers", the focus will not be on "me",
"mine" or "I", but will always point to the fullness of
salvation through Jesus Christ!
Embed these truth's in your heart, beloved. God (and His Love) never fails!
I remain faithfully and humbly yours in Christ Jesus,
larry
2. SITE OF THE MONTH: Soldier of the
Cross Evangelistic Ministry.
http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/SOTCEvanMin/frames2.htm
I have been visiting the Soldier of the Cross web site for years, and aside
from our natural relationship as "Brothers in Christ", Phillip Goldman
and I have also become friends and comrades in this faith walk. Through
much pain, anguish, grief and suffering, the guys at Soldier of the Cross have
persistently and relentlessly pursued the Truth of God's Word, and have
steadfastly exposed that which is false.
In their page index, you will find headings like, Salvation, Thought Provoking
Letters, Thought Provoking Poems, Messianic & Related Topics, Scripture in
Art, Christian Issues and The Newsroom - where they post news articles that
significantly effect matters of faith. Although they consider the site to
be mostly Evangelistic, I have always thought it to be much more of a
discipleship training center - which adds to my fondness of this site.
No matter how you view it, the Soldier of the Cross Evangelistic Ministry site
is a worthy stop on your voyages through the Internet.
Soldier of the Cross Evangelistic Ministry:
http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/SOTCEvanMin/frames2.htm
3. FEATURE ARTICLE: Finding God's
Forgiveness!
Perhaps the most frequent issue to be raised in my email from the Zeteo's
(Seekers) and Mathetes's (Disciples) who write to me, deals with the matter of
Sin and God's forgiveness. Is it any wonder, in light of the society in
which we abide, that this would be a primary concern?
Yesterday, I wrote a letter to a brother who is struggling with his propensity
toward other men. In other words, this young man had just confessed to me that
he was gay, and he was seeking my advice. Although he is not participating
in an "active" homosexual lifestyle, he needed for me to know... He
needed to confide and confess!
I wholeheartedly pray that my reply to him pointed toward the full salvation of
God through Christ Jesus our Lord, while maintaining faithfulness to God's Word.
In a word, my message was, "Abstain"!
I must confess to you, however, as I did to him, that by a "Prophetic
Word" from God, spoken to me weeks ago, I already knew! (The nature of this
Prophetic Word was a first for me, and I was quite startled by this wonderful
and meaningful moving of God's Holy Spirit). As a matter of fact, over the
past year, the Lord has been showing me a number of things dealing with sin and
His forgiveness, trying to help me comprehend precisely how He feels about these
matters.
The letter from our brother yesterday, therefore, was no surprise, but it
humbled my heart nonetheless! His honesty and sincerity were heart wrenching,
and this entire episode has left me wondering: Who am I to judge? (Have you
heard that in our writings before?) Who am I that this man should confess
anything to me? And yet, God's Word tells us that whatever we bind on earth,
shall be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth, shall be loosed in
heaven...
We hold sway with God!
So, what should we do, beloved? Should we loose or bind? Should we eternally
forgive or should we eternally damn?
Elsewhere, as I mentioned earlier, we have a sister in Christ who is being
swayed by a teaching that would have us believe that we can walk in the fullness
of the Law - without the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. (Need we really
investigate the totality of Scripture to realize that with the Law came sin, but
through Jesus Christ came God's grace and forgiveness?) Must we fully search out
every corner of God's Word that cries out to us that only through Grace can we
receive Christ Jesus, and only in Him do we receive forgiveness and redemption?
And, as we consider the fullness of sin and God's forgiveness, need we be
reminded that as Gentile converts to Christianity, God's Word simply tells us
that, "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no
greater burden that these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to
idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep
yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell" (Acts
15:28-29 NASB).
Are we faithfully applying this truth in our daily walk with God, as we present
His Word to a dying world? Or are we attempting to be more - and to make the
lost of the world more - than even God expects? If we are attempting to be more,
and if we are attempting to make humanity more than God expects, then aren't we
being prideful; aren't we to be found in sin ourselves?
No, beloved, I am not forgetting the Lord's commands that we love one another.
And no, I am not attempting to omit the Fruit of the Spirit from our lives.
These matters are base to the obedient life of discipleship. But, we are talking
about Finding God's Forgiveness as a matter of Salvation through Jesus Christ,
aren't we? Obedient discipleship and "the fruit of the Spirit" are
only possible once the Spirit is received through faith in Christ Jesus. To
expect these things of the unsaved is wrong, and it is a deterrent from the evil
one that is interfering with the full presentation of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
As disciples, we strive to Abstain from evil. (See 2 Corinthians 5 & 6 also,
beloved)... But even then, have any - other than Jesus Christ Himself - ever
attained perfection? No, according to God's Word, none have attained
perfection! As we walk the walk of Faith in Christ Jesus, therefore, and
as the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with His love, mercy and compassion, let us
strive to keep our eyes and ears opened to His gentle voice that speaks of
helping the world in Finding God's Forgiveness!
I remain faithfully and humbly yours in Christ Jesus,
larry
* Simon is praying for his brothers and father, and wisdom regarding a lady
friend. He is also seeking guidance from the Lord regarding the purchase of land
- for a safe haven...
* Rick is asking for prayer regarding his personal "spiritual"
struggle. (Aren't we all, brother!)
* We are praying for Foula and her baby Alexander, who are traveling from
Sydney, Australia to Seattle Washington. Foula is not saved, and her son,
Alexander, has spinabifita.
* Margaret is seeking guidance from the Lord as to what He would have her do -
for His glory - while she takes a 2 month sabbatical from work.
* Judy requests prayer for her family - who are not yet saved!
* Jerry is asking for prayer regarding how the Lord would use him in ministry -
with kids!
* Please pray for the sister caught-up in the spiritual battle for her
salvation.
* Andrew and Abraham are praying to become overcomers. (Aren't we all..)
* Pat is seeking prayer for healing to her body. She just had reconstructive
surgery on one hand - due to Arthritis, and must undergo surgery on her other
hand at well.
* Eric is seeking God's continued healing for his body (Eric is in remission
from a massive bout with cancer). He is also seeking the means to earn an income
while his body continues to heal.
* As always, please pray for our ministry too... We need God's provision now,
more than ever! Praise the Lord! We are His children, and He hears when we
call to Him...
5. FEEDBACK: Here are some of the letters I
received in response to my latest article and newsletter attachment, entitled,
"Stay the Course":
* From Dean in Hawaii, "Hang in there brother, you are not alone. I don't
see the pretrib rapture either, but like you said, whatever our understanding
is, we can at least be civil."
* From David, "I believe we have in times past been so focused on His
coming we have not strove to be one body with one mind and one heart in
Him."
* From Esther, "We do not have to answer for the response of others, only
our own obedience to obey the call that our precious Jesus has given us."
* Janice offered this, "Unity, unity ,unity. If only the Body could catch a
glimpse of what that really entails. That's why the enemy hates it, and works
thru every area that hasn't died to self.
* Susan provided this, "I am a monitor of a popular Christian chat room. On
more than one occasion I have seen people argue and rip each other apart on the
tribulation topic. (Other topics as well). The whole time there are unsaved
people in there just watching us Christians sporting a most unchristian like
behavior! It is such a sad sight to see. WE should be about the Lord's work in
all love, humility, and understanding. We should be accurate representatives of
Christ, and not a bunch sniping foul mouthed, ill mannered heathens!!!
* Martin added that, "It seems that we are willing to die for our causes,
but not for each other."
* And, to keep me humble: "I just got your letter from ANZAC and I
could not disagree more... This is a very important matter,
and your position on the Rapture tells me all about your theology. Pre-wrath and
post-trib doctrine presumes an annoyed and dissatisfied Christ Who wants to show
us what backslid cowards we really are by making us face up to the horrors of
the Tribulation.
6. CONTACT larry vosen:
If you have any questions about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit,
the Gospel, Faith or any pressing spiritual matter, please feel free to contact
me. While I may not possess the answers personally, I know Who Does! Every
effort will be made to secure the answer you seek.
Do you have a prayer request? Please share your needs with us... We will post
your needs in our "Prayer Request" sections, and approach the Throne
of God in a united front on your behalf.
We can be reached through our email address at: Contact
larry
Or, please feel free to mail your thoughts and requests to:
Larry Vosen
2600 E. Seltice Way, #203
Post Falls, ID 83854
Return to the "A Matter of Faith"
Past Issue page
or
Contact larry
Copyright©2000-2001, Post Falls, ID.